Turner praises players, coaches who saved season

SAN DIEGO – The Chargers have used 60 players in games this season, more than in any year since 2004.

Six different players have started at the three defensive line spots. Three different players have started at one inside linebacker position. There have been two starting centers, two starting right guards and two starting right tackles.

So this, the team’s fourth straight division title and fifth in six years, has a certain special feel.

“Our core has stayed constant,” head coach Norv Turner said. “Those are the guys you build on. But this year for me is different because we’ve had so many guys who’ve had to step up, so many guys people don’t even know.

“I could ask a lot of people to name our 11 starters on defense and you might get half of them, and to name our starting offensive line, and there are a lot of people who don’t know who those guys are, because we didn’t know who they were eight months ago. I’m really proud of the way we’ve had so many different people contribute to what we’ve gotten done.”

Turner praised the players and, mostly, his assistant coaches.

“It speaks volumes about our coaching staff,” Turner said. “ … Because those are the guys when a young guy like (Brandyn) Dombrowski steps up and plays, if Vaughn Martin steps up and plays, if James Holt becomes a real contributor on special teams, then someone is doing a great job getting them ready. I give that credit to the assistant coaches.”

His story holds up

Turner was queried again yesterday about his comments following the season’s second game and was actually asked if he was “sandbagging.”

Responded Turner: “No, I wasn’t. I know there is a lot of revisionist history being passed around and a lot of different theories. We were in a tough way after the Raider game. We had a lot of people hurt. Even the guys who weren’t hurt weren’t healthy. … My comments were we’re not as good as people want us to be, but we can get there.”

Turner is certainly correct that his comments were diced, shredded and taken completely out of context.

Here is his quote from the Monday following the Chargers’ 31-26 loss to Baltimore:

“After two games, when I look at our football team I think I have a pretty good handle where our team is. I don’t think right now we’re as good as you that cover us think or expect us to be. I don’t think we’re as good as what our fans want us to be. But I believe we can get there. We have a lot of work to do to get there.”

Nuts ’n’ Bolts

• Sunday was LaDainian Tomlinson’s first game this season with more than 100 total yards (59 rushing, 58 receiving) and his highest total in 22 games. His 36-yard gain on a third-quarter screen, while aided greatly by Scott Mruczkowski’s block, was one of his finest plays of the season. Said Turner: “LT hasn’t lost anything in terms of his receiving ability.”